Table-bench having means for controlling and guiding the folding thereof into folding position



Nov. 27, 1956 TABLE-BENCH HAVIN K. H. WILSON a G MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AND GUIDING THE FOLDING THEREOF m'ro FOLDING POSITION Filed March 4. 1955 6 Shuts-A5119 1 INVEN TOR.

. 2,771,937 00101 THE FOLDING THEREOF m'ro FOLDING POSITI n Filed nag-m: 4, v 1955 r v s snub-3mm 2 K. HI WILSON Nov. 27; 1956 TABLE-BENCH HAVING MEANS FOR con'momxm AND a INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Nov.27, 1956 K. H. WILSON 2,771,937

TABLE-BENCH HAVING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AND GUIDING THE FOLDING THEREOF INTO FOLDING PO$ITION Filed Iarch 4, 1955 6 Sbtefia-SAKQi 3 Mi W2??? Nov. 27, 1956 wl so 2,771,937

TABLE-BENCH HAVING ANS FOR CONTROLLING AND GIHDING THE FOLDING THEREOF INTO'FOLDING POSITION Filed llarch 4, 1955 6 Siesta-Shani -4 uvmvrozz 6 MIIZJZZWI h OM Nov. 27, 1956 K. H. WILSON ,9 TABLE-BENCH HAVING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING GUIDING 1 THE FOLDING THEREOF. INTO FOLDING POSITQEQN Filed {@arch 4, 1955 I i'ya IN VEN TOR.

Nov 27, 71956 K.'H. WILSON A.

TABLE-BENCH HAVING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING AND GUIDING}. Tl'iE FOLDING THEREOF INTO FOLDING PQSI'IIQN Filed larch 4, l55 .6 shutg shut .6

IN VEN TOR. W19. W121? BY Y Ava/#7:

TABLE-BENCH HAVING MEANS FOR CONTROL- LING AND GUIDING THE FOLDING THEREOF INTO FOLDING POSITION Kermit H. Wilson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application March 4, 1955, Serial No. 492,212

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-124) My invention relates generally to table structures and more particularly to tables which may be folded for storage and the like.

This application is a restriction of my co-pending application S. N. 336,491, filed February 12, 1953, for a, Table and Means for Controlling and Guiding the Folding Thereof into Folding Position, now Patent Number 2,721,778, issued on October 25, 1955.

Tables of this type are generally adapted to be set up in banquet halls, ballrooms and the like, and are designed to accommodate fairly large numbers of people seated thereabout. Where space is at a premium, and it is desired that a single room be utilized for seating purposes, after which it is desired that the room be cleared for dancing or other purposes, it is important that the tables be removed from the room with a maximum of speed and a minimum of effort and disturbance. An important object of my invention is, therefore, the provision of a table which may be quickly and easily set up for use, and which may as readily be folded to an inoperative storage position and moved to an out-of-the-way location with a minimum of time and effort involved.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of novel linkage and counter-balancing means whereby a table of the above type is maintained in a folded storage position against accidental unfolding movements.

till another object of my invention is the provision oi removable seats or benches which are rigidly secured to the table for pivotal or swinging movements of the seats or benches between the operative positions and the inoperative storage positions.

The above and still further highly important objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a table and bench structure in accordance with my invention, some parts being broken away, said structure being shown in its unfolded operative position;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the structure in a partially folded condition;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan of my novel structure, some parts being broken away and some parts being shown by dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 3, some parts being shown by dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of my novel bench and table structure in a folded condition;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail partly in plan and partly in section, taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 on an enlarged scale; g

Patented Nov. 27, 1955 Fig. 8 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a view in end elevation of my novel structure in its operative position;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the folding and unfolding movements of my novel structure;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a hinge connection illustrated in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail taken substantially on the line 1313 of Fig. 7.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 13, a generally rectangular table top 1 is shown as comprising a pair of elongated table top sections 2 and 3 normally disposed in end to end substantially abutting relationship. The table top sections 2 and 3 may be made from any suitable material such as wood, metal and the like and are rigidly secured to generally rectangular underlying frames 4 and 5 respectively that are made up of longitudinally extending frame members 6 and longitudinally inner and outer cross members 7 and 8.

A central supporting structure 9 comprises a base 10 and a pair of supporting members 11. Each of the supporting members 11 includes a transversely extending horizontal table supporting member or seat 12 each of which is adapted to engage and freely seat the under side of the end portion of the adjacent table top section when said sectionsare in their operative horizontal positions. The opposite end portions of the supporting members 11 are downturned to provide legs 13 which are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to upstanding plates 14 of the base 10 by means of nut-equipped bolts or the like 15. Rigidity is imparted to the supporting elements 11 by tubular webs 16 at the lower end portions of the legs 13 and spacer bars or the like 17 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the intermediate portions of the transverse table supporting seats 12. With reference particularly to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, it will be seen that the tubular webs 16 are bolted to the plates 14 as indicated at 18. The lower ends of the legs 13 are inturned to provide opposed feet 19 to the inner ends of which are welded bearing plates or the like 20. The bearing plates 20 each journal the opposite end portions of a pair of spaced parallel rock shafts 21 which extend transversely of the supporting structure 9 in a horizontal plane below the plane of the table supporting seats 12.

The base 10 of the supporting structure 9 further includes a pair of laterally outwardly diverging seat supporting pedestal elements 22 which project laterally outwardly of the plates 14 thereof and which at their bottoms are provided with caster wheels or the like 23. The pedestal elements 22 are braced by brace members 24, the central portions of which are welded to the lower ends of the plates 14 and the outer diverging ends of which are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the downturned ends 25 of the pedestals 22 as indicated at 26.

Means for supporting the outer ends of the table top sections 2 and 3 in their operative horizontal positions comprises a pair of end supporting elements 27 each made up of a pair of spaced parallel leg members 28 that are pivotally secured at their upper ends each to a different longitudinal frame member 6, as indicated at 29, and an inverted generally U-shaped member 313 disposed in the same plane as the leg members 28 and welded or otherwise rigidly secured at its intermediate portion to said legs as indicated at 31. The free ends of the U-shaped member 30 provide floor engaging feet 32. The end supporting elements 27 and various component parts of the central supporting structure 9 may be from any suitable material, but preferably and as shown are 'from metallic jtubular stock which is relatively strong and of lightweight.

The pivotal connections 29 enable the end supporting 'niernbers 27 to be moved between't-heir-table supporting positions at substantially rightfangles' to the table top sections and inoperative folded positions substantially :parallel to their respective ta ble topsections .Inorder 7 to rigidly lock the'end supporting'elements 2 7 in either ot these positions i provide'a pair of locking levers 33, one for each end supporting element 27." The locking levers are'ident-ical' and are indicated by like reference 7 characters. For the ake of brevity, but one thereofwill' "be. described. With reference to Fig. 1-1, it will be seen that the locking lever 33' is pivo'tal'lysecured at its inner end to "one: of the legs 28, as indicated a834, for upward and downward swinging movements with respect to the leg 128'. The lever 33 extends through an elongated aper tune or slot 35 in a latch plate or the like 36 welded or 3 otherwise anchored "to an adjacent cross framemember The lever 33 is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced downwardly opening notches 37 one of which *is adapted to receive the portion of the plate 36 at the lower end of the 519235 when the endsupporting element ii". is in table supporting posit-ion at right angles to'the 'a'ssociated table top section, and the other of which is adapted to receive said portion of the plate 36 Wherr'the end supporting sectio'n is in its inoperative position. The outer 'end of "the lever 33 terminates in a hand-le38 by means of which the lever SS'm'ay be moved against the yielding: bias of a torsion "springfia' which urge the lever 33' inc directio-n to be locked with respect to the latch plate 36. With further reference to Fig. 1 1 it will be seen that the pivotal connections between the upper end of the leg 7 members 23 includeplate-like members '44? which engage V their adjacent frame members 6 to limit swingingmovemen-ts of the end supporting member"27 in a direction longitudinally outwardly with respect to their associatedtabletop sections. 7 V a For supporting and-'guiding-thetable top sections 2 and nection 45 when the top section 2'is in its operative psi. tiorrand on an axis parallel to' the axis of'its associated shaft 21. The cooperating second'rigid control'link 53 is identical to the control link 49 and comprises the tui bular rock shaft 2.1 underlyingthe table top section 3,a pair of laterally spaced parallel arms 53 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the last-mentioned rock shaft 2-1 and a tubular shaft 54 anchored to the outer ends of the arms 53 and journalled' in :thefrarne memberso of the table top section '3 for pivotal movements on an axis parallel to the axis of the associated rock shaft 21." The the inner ends of fraures 4 and 5 and the latter adjacent 3 3 lbetweenitheir normal operative horizontal positions of Fig. l and their. inoperative positions'of Fig. 6, I provide pairs of cooperating'control links connecting saidtable top sections and the central supporting structure 9; The control links of one: of'said pairs, hereinafter designated as the first control links, each underlie a separate: table top section and are indicated at 4} and 42 respectively.

T 165F511 control link at i pivotally mounted at its inner lend 43 to the intermediate portion-of the transverse seat; forming member-'12; associated with the tabletop section 2 tor upward anddownward swinging movements, the outer end thereor being pivota'lly secured to bracket member 44ers indicated at The bracket members form part or" the frame 4, the axis of the pivotal connection 45' being parallel to the cooperating seat forming element 12.

Likewise, the first control link- 42, associated with the" table section 3, is pivotally secured to the intermediate portion of its respective'transverse seat forming element 12 as indicated at 6 for upward and-downward swinging movements, the outcr end of said link 42 being pivot-ally secured to bracket-members =47 as indicated at 48' and membersdTifo rm part of the frame 5, see Fig 8. The

i 7 other pair of control tlink-s;hereinafter designated as'the 7 second control links, are indicated'by the reference characters 49 and 5%,t-he former of which underlies the table top section Land the latter of which'underlies the table top section '3. The second rigid'control link '49 com prlses the transverse shaft '21 underlying the table top section 2,' a pair of laterally spaced arms 5 1 and a tubular transverse shaftSZ. The shaft 2 1, jthe arms 51 1 and the tubular shaft 52 are rjigidiy secured together as by welding or the like. The shaft-52 is; journal'led in the frame members, 6 associated: withythe table topsectibn 2 at *a point longitudinally outwardly of the pivotal T bars; see Fig. I2. ltrwilli be noted that the hinge pins oi 'side the adjacent outwardly diverging pedestal memb tubular shaft S lls disposed longitudinally outwardly of; f V the pivotal connection 48 in. the same manner as the tubular shaft 52*with respect to its. cooperating pivotal con-' uection 45. V

Theta ble top sect-ions 2 and 3 are yieldin'gly urged to ward their folded inoperative'positions of Fig. 6 by counterbalancing torsion springs 55 of "which there are preferablyifour in number. Eachspring'fifi encompasses a laterally outwardly extendedend portion 56' of the reel; shafts 21 laterally outwardly of the adj'acentl'aearing plate 2G, and has one end '57 hooked underfthe bottom edge of its cooperating bearing plate 26. The extreme opposite control link arms 51 and53 My improvedtable may be used with or ide removable seats or benches comprising elongated seat elements 6tl'rigidly' secured to supporting'frames which project laterally inwardly and upwardly at their opposite end portions and which have their extreme opffn I posite inner and outer ends 62"and 63; respectively pivotnFQ, ly' secured to hanger brackets or the like 64 and 65 dcpending from the frames 4 and 5', the former adjacent theouter end supporting elements 27, A shown in Ft the frames 61 toward their inner ends extend diagonaliy laterally inwardly as indicated at. 66 so asto lie ale-n 22. With thisarr'angement', it will be seen that a ma mum of leg room is provided'for'occupants of the benches 6d. The pivotal connections between the upstandiuger 62and 63 of the various supporting frames and th respective hanger members or bars and 65 respective ly comprise hinge pins '67 anchored: in the :ends of the frame 61and extending through apertures. 68 ih the han on opposite ends of each frame 61 are axially aligned i lcngitudinally of the benches and table sections as to permit swinging movements of. the benches 6d and their,

frames '61 between operative positions wherein: the

benches rest upon the pedestals 22' and the U shaped' members 30 of the end supporting elements 27 and operative positions wherein the tops of the benches 5% in exactly the same manner asthe link'd l. The bracket engage and rest upon the top" surfaces of their coope 'ing, table top sections 2 and 3 as indicated by dotted lines; in 'Fig. 9 The seat mounting frames 61 have su'ficieut V resilience to enablethe end portions 62'and63 thereof to be moved toward each other sufficiently to. enable the hinge pins 67 to be disengaged from the apertures 68 in the hanger members 64 and 65 'Thus'the benches or seats together withtheir supporting frax'nes 61" may be;

quickly and easily removed in the event that conventional chairs-are used with the table, and 'as quickly and easily replaced when desired; e

When'it is desired to fold up my novel table structure forstorageor the like, the benches 60 are swung upward.-

ly and inwardlyiuto engagement with the top surfaces of their respectivetable sections as indicated by dotted lines in-Fi-g. 9. Thereafter; the-locking lever-3 3 .associ atedwith one table top section is lif-ted out of engagewithout builtin benches or-seats as desired. For this reason. 1 proment with the cooperating portion of the latch plate 36 and the end supporting element 27 swung about its axis to its inoperative position substantially parallel to the table top section. Such swinging movement is indicated by a broken line A in Fig. 10. When the end supporting element 27 is moved to its inoperative position, the longitudinally outer notch 37 of the locking lever 33 will engage the latch plate 36 whereby to lock the end supporting element in its inoperative position. As soon as the end supporting element 27 is moved out of engagement with the floor, indicated at X, the outer end of the table section 2 will tend to gravitate toward the floor about the axis of the shaft 52. The table top section 2 and the frame 4 associated therewith may be then manually swung about the axis of the shaft 52 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to Fig. 10, the longitudinally outer edge of the top section 2 following a path indicated by the broken line B in Fig. 10, downwardly and inwardly toward the central supporting structure 9. Simultaneously, the longitudinally inner edge will tend to follow a path indicated by the broken line C in Fig. 10. The counterbalancing springs 55 urge the second control link 49 upwardly and longitudinally inwardly about the axis of its associated rock shaft 21 in a clockwise direction. The first control link 41 will also be swung upwardly in a clockwise direction, the pivotal connection 45 thereof describing an are indicated by the broken line D. It will be here noted that the shaft 52 describes an are indicated by the broken line E. Thus, during the movement of the table top section 2 from its horizontal operative position, shown by full lines in Fig. 10, to its inoperative storage position shown by dotted lines therein, the table top section 2 swings in a direction counter to the direction of swinging movement of the control links. With this arrangement, very little etfort is required to move the table top section from its operative position to its inoperative positions. With the table top section in its inoperative storage position, the load applied thereby the counterbalancing springs 55 is very light. For this reason, the springs 55 are able to hold the table top section in its inoperative position against accidental displacement. The opposite table top section 3 and its cooperating benches 60 are moved to their inoperative storage positions in exactly the same manner all being accomplished in a minimum of time and with a minimum of efiort. With the tables thus arranged, the entire structure may be easily moved to a suitable place for storage.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and while I have shown and described a commercial form of my novel table structure and a single modification thereof, it will be understood that the same is capable of further modification within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding table and bench unit, a supporting structure, a table top, mechanism connecting the table top to the supporting structure and guiding the same for swinging movements from a generally horizontal operative position to a generally vertical storage position, a bench section supported by said supporting structure in an operative position adjacent one longitudinal edge of the table top but below the plane of the latter when the latter is in its horizontal position, and means comprising rigid elements and connecting pivot joints anchoring the bench section to the table top for swinging movements from said operative position to an inoperative position adjacent and in substantially fiat face to face relationship with one of the surfaces of the table top.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Des. 152,784 Higgins Feb. 22, 1949 2,203,394 Schieber June 4, 1940 2,647,562 Hofiar Aug. 4, 1953 2,690,210 Holick Sept. 28, 1954 2,702,585 Wilson Feb. 22, 1955 2,721,778 Wilson Oct. 25, 1955 

